Director, Climate and
Environment
About Palladium:
Operating in over 50
countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company
working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities
to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address
some of the world’s most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic
growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and
digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to
support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,100 staff
worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep
technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to
deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organisations
achieve measurable, sustainable impact.
Palladium is part of
GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the
world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s
approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries
worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering
consulting services.
This Opportunity:
The mission of Palladium’s UKEA Partnership Climate and Environment Practice
is to support governments, donors and the private sector
to deliver climate-resilient, nature-positive development
through policy and institutional reform, landscape- and jurisdiction-level
approaches, mobilising private capital and large-scale delivery that
strengthen forest governance, sustainable land use and climate
resilience.
Palladium is seeking a Director, Climate and Environment to continue the growth
of the business by successfully securing and delivering a portfolio of
contracts. Acting as a primary client-facing representative of the company, the
individual is expected to develop trusted relations with their clients by
understanding their needs; addressing those needs in market leading proposals;
and delivering services to meet their expectations. The post holder will be
responsible to ensure that the projects are delivered to client requirements
and Palladium quality standards and against forecast with technical solutions
remaining at the forefront of industry requirements. The ideal candidate is a seasoned programme director with specific
experience leading FCDO funded programmes including teams (40%), but also has
the demonstrated know how in shaping compelling offers to diversify winning
business with other donors, governments or private sector clients
(60%).
Location:
The position will be
based in Palladium’s London office. Please note that
applicants must have the right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not
available for this role.
Palladium follows a hybrid working model, with three days in the office
and two days remote.
Reporting Lines:
- The Director, Climate and Environment will report to the Practice Lead, Climate and Environment
- This role will lead a corporate team of 6-7 individuals + line reporting for team leaders for programmes where they serve as Programme Director
- This role will liaise with Group finance, strategy, business development, and communications as well as senior government officials, private sector clients and strategic partners
Primary Responsibilities:
Drive Business Growth
- Lead
business development and capture efforts, mobilizing teams and partners to
win new contracts
- Build
and strengthen client relationships, positioning Palladium as a trusted
partner
- Identify
and pursue new opportunities that drive sustainable portfolio growth
- Assess
client needs, market trends, and bid requirements to inform strategy
- Monitor
bid performance and proactively address risks and challenges
Deliver Impactful
Contracts
- Oversee
successful contract delivery, ensuring alignment with client expectations
and company standards
- Deliver
projects on time, on budget, and in line with financial targets
- Provide
technical leadership and quality assurance across the project portfolio
- Serve
as Project Director where required, ensuring strong governance and results
- Drive
continuous improvement initiatives to enhance project quality and
performance
- Collaborate
across business units to deliver integrated client solutions
Raise Palladium’s
Profile
- Strengthen
Palladium’s market position to enhance contract opportunities and win
rates
- Lead
targeted business development and marketing initiatives in priority
markets
- Develop
and promote thought leadership that showcases Palladium’s expertise
- Build
trusted client relationships through networking, events, strategic
engagements, and advisory support
- Collaborate
across teams to advance intellectual property, service offerings, and
delivery excellence
Supporting
Responsibilities
- Coach,
mentor, and develop staff while fostering a high-performing and inclusive
team culture
- Contribute
to business leadership and strategic decision-making
- Champion
Palladium’s sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding
commitments
- Model
Palladium’s values, behaviors, and professional standards
- Support
continuous business growth through strong leadership, project delivery,
and client engagement
Essential Criteria:
- Demonstrated programme leadership experience in climate, environment, forestry, land use or natural resource governance
- Demonstrated track
record in forest governance, nature-based programmes, climate
adaptation, or relevant area
- Proven success winning work
for FCDO and with other donors
- Experience overseeing large,
complex delivery portfolios with multiple stakeholders
Core Skills:
- Strategic, systems-level
thinker with strong commercial judgement
- Able to communicate
complex climate and environmental issues clearly to technical
and non-technical audience
- Strong people leader committed
to performance and accountability
- Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
- Excellent written communication skills with a strong focus on quality, accuracy, and attention to detail
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience working with
climate adaptation and climate resilience
- Existing relationships with
DFIs, MDBs, climate and nature initiatives
- Experience designing and
delivering adaptation and resilience programmes, including locally led
adaptation approaches
Applications will be
accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position
may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted
candidates will be contacted.
Equity, Diversity &
Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into
everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and
actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good
practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our
workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair
treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These
include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender
identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability,
nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.
Should you require any
adjustments or accommodations to be made during the recruitment process (due to
disability, neurodiversity, or for any other circumstance), please email our
team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we
will be in touch to discuss.
Safeguarding - We define
Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our
people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed
to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium
are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to
an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a
rigorous due diligence process.
